Betting Jessica

by Deanne Wilsted

  Erik mumbled a reply while Cynthia forged on.

  “Well, I wanted to thank you again for driving me home. It was great to catch up with each other last night at the bar, didn’t you think?”

  What could Erik say? The fact was that sandwiched in that damn booth he had felt like he was in an airplane seat watching the rest of the world go by from 10,000 feet. Cynthia was very nice, and by many standards the best catch of the lot. But he thought he knew where this was heading and somehow he couldn’t make himself feel anything but depressed by it. As Cynthia continued to talk about the beautiful day and the many things happening around Boston, Erik considered his options for setting her straight.

  He could try the direct approach, Hey Cynthia, thanks but no thanks. Aside from this not really being his style though she hadn’t actually asked him out yet.

  He briefly considered a lie, Yeah, perfect weather for this date I have with a new girl, blah, blah, blah. He knew the lie would work, but he also knew it would quickly make its way around the group and he didn’t want to have to live up to it.

  The indirect approach, just show general disinterest, might work although he wondered if she would take the hint. Past experience had taught him some women could be pretty obtuse, and he knew Cynthia especially could be tenacious about things she really wanted. However, since he didn’t see a better option, he decided he would have to try this last idea and hope for the best.

  “Cynthia, don’t you think it’s odd that Jessica can’t get over this bet thing?”

  Wait. Where had that come from? Erik couldn’t believe he had just said that out loud. He was so flustered by his own question that at first he didn’t even realize that he had unintentionally provided the one response designed to splash cold water on Cynthia’s plans.

  “You know, Erik, I hadn’t given it much thought before now.”

  “Me neither really,” Erik hastily agreed. “But, since she’s Peter’s sister I guess I feel a little worried about her sometimes.”

  “Well, actually, if you want to know the truth, I think it seems typical of her.” Cynthia said. “She probably thinks it is some fun new thing to try. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Knowing how she is, I’m sure it will all fade away when she gets bored.”

  As Cynthia was speaking though, Erik knew she was absolutely wrong. Something seemed different to him in Jessica’s whole approach to this thing. On top of that, he was sort of annoyed with Cynthia for being so critical of Jessica. I mean she definitely could be a little bit impulsive sometimes, but she wasn’t that wishy-washy. He suddenly wished he had never brought the topic up.

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Erik said to end the conversation. “Besides, it’s not like I have much time to think about anything except work and my new tennis league right now.”

  He smiled. Nicely done, he thought to himself. And just in case that was too subtle, he got ready to talk about the match he had to play that day.

  “Well, in any case,” Cynthia continued, “I thought it was very nice of you to look after me last night, particularly as my new beau wasn’t there to do it.”

  Erik listened while Cynthia gave a nice pause for effect.

  “I’m afraid he’s a little intimidated by our whole group. I’ll have to work on him a little today and see if I can’t get him to come along the next time.”

  “I’m sure everyone would love to meet him,” Erik said.

  Just like his own subtle message, Cynthia’s had been sent and received as well. So, that cleared that up, Erik thought as they both hung up the phone. He laughed; it would be fun to watch Cynthia produce this mysterious new boyfriend the next time the group was together.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Although Erik tried to get back into his book, due to that stupid conversation his mind was now once again entirely focused on Jessica and her bet.

  Groaning out loud, he got out of bed thinking that it was a sure sign of age when your body felt destroyed from tennis rather than drinking. He rambled into the kitchen and scowled thinking of the last time Jessica had come over to his apartment.

  He and the other guys had decided to break their tradition one Sunday and had graciously included the girls in one of his barbecues. Erik’s apartment was in the revitalized South End of Boston. He loved his apartment, especially the view of the Prudential Center from his roof deck. Of course first you had to be brave enough to take on the steep wooden stairs… and then smart enough not to try to come back down after having too many drinks.

  The night the girls came over, though, Jessica had seemed more impressed by his kitchen than by the view from his deck. Perhaps it was a guy thing, he thought. And, although personally Erik would rather cook outside on the grill any day, even he could appreciate the apartment’s remodeled kitchen space. He thought it was clever that they had added so much cabinet space… it came in handy for his extra sports stuff and his books.

  And while desks seemed like a total waste of space in most kitchens, surprisingly he had found himself spending more and more time doing his work at this one. Ultimately, he had accepted this and turned it into his official home office space. Besides being his favorite spot in the apartment, he liked that he could reach the coffee pot and fridge by simply rolling across the floor.

  The builders had placed the desk beneath one of the large double windows in the apartment rather than under cabinets; so between that and the kitchen skylight it was always the brightest part of the apartment. Narrow bookshelves lined either side of the window. And although Erik imagined others might fill them with cookbooks and knick knacks, he had filled them with his product design and development library.

  It hadn’t been the desk, though, that had captured Jessica’s attention the day she had visited. Jessica had walked in, and seeing the kitchen itself had appeared to lose interest in anything or anyone. As if she were completely alone she had started pulling open all of the drawers and poking around in the cabinets. She then proceeded to examine all of his knives and pots and pans.

  And, as Erik watched her explore, she had transformed in front of him. Unable to believe it, they were only pans for God’s sake, she had suddenly appeared, well, beautiful. The enthralled look on her face lit up her features with an eagerness and excitement he had rarely if ever seen on her. The truth was it had knocked Erik off his feet. She had run her hands along the countertops and, strangely, Erik had imagined her hands exploring him in the same way.

  Damn, Erik thought to himself. Even though that was a couple of months ago he was pretty sure that been the start of it all. Now, whenever he walked into his kitchen that image looped over and over in his mind. As if he had no control whatsoever, his body refused to listen to reason and would instead force him into a very uncomfortable state. Lately it seemed he’d get angry simply stepping into the kitchen. Down deep he knew he was actually angry at his own inability to let go of the image but it was much easier to make Jessica the brunt of his frustration.

  Toasting his bread by rote, Erik found himself yet again becoming annoyed by the amount of attention she had paid to his appliances rather than to him. God! If she was so damn interested in his kitchen, perhaps he should invite her over to cook there. That way at least he wouldn’t get turned down for some imaginary, or at least unattainable, movie star. Erik barely acknowledged the plan that began to form in his brain even as he grabbed his tennis racket and headed out the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jessica was fuming. If it weren’t for the fact that she needed the money she would have definitely told Katie where she could stick her catering job tonight.

  Who are you kidding? She would never let a friend down, even if it meant having to be around…. Don’t think about it, she told herself. Think about all of the reasons you like helping Katie with her catering. She tried to focus on that as she stormed down the sidewalk.

  First, although the money wasn’t fantastic, working the extra catering jobs was providing enough to help her get to Tahoe a
nd afford the apartment there for two whole weeks on her own.

  Second, she thought ticking another reason off her next finger, catering kept her busy and away from her own kitchen; so no snacking.

  Finally, she admitted to herself, catering was fun. She really enjoyed working with Katie and loved the chance to be creative.

  Katie had added a lot to Jessica’s life without even realizing it. She had come along during one of Jessica’s bad working spells, which were easier to hit than to miss given the number of them, and had asked her to help out occasionally in her catering business. Katie’s company was just starting to grow, so it had worked out well. The only down side was that Jessica’s regular work didn’t leave much free time to help.

  Katie was a steady sort of person, in looks and personality. Jessica always envied the way she seemed so comfortable with herself and her place in the world. But as much as she normally loved Katie right now she was at the top of Jessica’s personal ‘shitlist’. Katie had been suspiciously busy until this afternoon when she had finally returned Jessica’s many messages. Jessica grimaced as she thought about Katie’s call that afternoon.

  “Hi Jess, all ready for tonight?”

  “Well, I would be if I had any idea where I was supposed to go,” Jessica joked. “I figured you would call at some point, though. Does being this busy mean you’ll have more parties for me to help with?”

  Katie had eagerly launched into a description of some of the other jobs coming up. “We’ve got at least two office dinners to do in June, one where we may get to have it out on the roof deck of the building.”

  “How cool,” Jessica said. “June, right? We could do something tropical. Or did they have something else in mind?”

  “No, no,” Katie said and Jessica could hear the smile in her voice. “I knew you’d have fun planning that one so we left it undecided.”

  Jessica’s brain started imagining all sorts of neat themes.

  “Then in July if you want,” Katie continued, “I have to go down to Nantucket to do a weekend long house-party, including a clam bake. I’d love to have you come along to help with that one since they only have room for two of us and you’re worth three of anyone else.”

  Jessica had practically clapped her hands in delight. Then she had become a little suspicious.

  “Hmmm, that sounds too good to be true. Are you trying to butter me up for something?”

  “Well actually, you may not be too thrilled about tonight’s job,” Katie had hedged. “But before I tell you about it I want you to promise to keep in mind how hard I have been working to get more business clients, right? Okay?”

  Jessica had suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Katie, where are we catering tonight?”

  “So, well, I happened to be talking with Erik last week,” Katie courageously continued. “And he told me that he was in a complete bind.”

  “Katie! Do not even think of telling me the job tonight is for Erik,” Jessica practically choked. “You have got to be kidding.”

  “The thing is, Jess, his company has big out of town clients, the sort that need super careful attention. So his boss has asked him to arrange a private dinner party. What could I do?”

  “Ummm, let me think,” Jessica answered sarcastically. “How about say NO!”

  “He’s also a friend Jess. I couldn’t leave him hanging. And besides, remember, I really want to get more business clients. This will be great for my company.”

  “Maybe, but still…” Jessica could feel herself relenting. “Fine, so where is he hosting this dinner.”

  Katie audibly swallowed. “His apartment.”

  “Seriously? This just gets better and better. Couldn’t he find a suitably snobby restaurant?” Jessica practically snarled. “I’m sure Cynthia would have helped him.”

  “Everything he could think of was already booked.”

  “Anyway, why on earth would you want to put me and Erik in the same room right now?” Jessica interrupted. “We’ll probably kill each other and how will that look to his boss?”

  “Jessica, complain all you want,” Katie went on placidly, “but I know you. You would never jeopardize one of my jobs.” She waited for Jessica to say something, but there was only silence.

  “And, Erik’s dinner party for his boss and their clients means a lot of exposure for me. No matter what you might think, we both know you are the only one I trust to help me with the preparation and serving.”

  Katie had waited for Jessica to hopefully give in… And, of course, she had. Not without some more complaining; then again, probably not as much as Katie had imagined. Jessica had told herself she needed the money and would never let down a friend. But, truthfully, it was more to do with the fact that it would give her a reason to spend time in Erik’s great kitchen; one of the few things she actually liked about him.

  She had dreamt of cooking in that kitchen from the first moment she saw it. And, this was the only imaginable scenario in which that would ever take place. Just keep that in mind, she thought to herself. So, as she finished the long walk to his condo she repeated the words ‘Erik’s kitchen’ over and over like a mantra. Hopefully it would see her through the long night ahead.

  Chapter Seventeen

  What Katie hadn’t told Jessica earlier when they had talked was that Erik had, in a roundabout sort of way, specifically asked for Jessica to help with the party. The request might have surprised her, except that ever since she had heard about their bet Katie had suspected something strange was going on with them.

  Katie moved pots around on the stove and checked that the oven was set at the correct temperature while she considered what the night had in store. The tension between Erik and Jess was at an all-time high, and most people would probably say that had to do with the bet. But Katie wondered if there wasn’t possibly another reason. Tonight she was hoping to test out her own theory. Katie glanced into the dining room and saw Jessica quietly setting the table and wondered how long the peaceful mood would last.

  Jessica shoved a stray curl out of her face and scowled at nothing in particular. Her thoughts were so obvious Katie had to laugh out loud.

  “I heard that,” Jessica called. “You know there is no part of this that is funny.”

  “Oh Jess. You take yourself way too seriously,” Katie said.

  “Ha. Tell Erik,” Jess snorted. “I’m sure he’d argue with that.”

  Katie smiled. “I doubt that. Mostly the only one he ever argues with is you.” She paused. “Hmmm, I wonder why.”

  Jessica finished what she was doing and walked back into the kitchen.

  “I’ll tell you why; it’s because we despise each other, that’s why.”

  She pulled blue linen napkins out of a box and began folding them on the counter.

  “Which begs the question again,” she continued, “of what I am doing here tonight?”

  Katie smiled as she painted olive oil on thin slices of baguette.

  “I’m beginning to wonder if you really have the brains to run this company after all,” Jessica continued. She shot Katie a grudging look. “Although you certainly have dressed the part tonight; you look as elegant as always.”

  As usual, Katie had worn her black Tahari slacks and a perfectly pressed white blouse, both of which set off her floating black hair and beautiful almond eyes.

  “How is it possible for you to always be so perfectly poised, even in the midst of the mayhem that a party inevitably creates?” Jessica asked then sighed as she looked down at her own, hastily thrown together outfit.

  “You know if I’d had a little more notice I could have at least ironed my pants.” She held out the wrinkled black material.

  “No offense, Jess, but nothing short of a bomb would help those pants,” Katie said shuddering.

  “Probably,” Jessica agreed petulantly. “But maybe I could have found something else to wear instead. You know... something to show off that I have actually made a little progress on my diet this t
ime.”

  “Oh!” Katie said sounding almost sincere. “Is there more in your closet than overly large black pants and outdated sweaters?”

  “Very funny,” Jessica said. “Anyway, it’ll be your fault if I get blisters from wearing shoes without socks.”

  “How am I to blame for that?” Katie answered, looking confused.

  “I had to ditch the mismatched pair I threw on because, oh yeah, I had like 20 minutes to get ready.” Jessica finished her tirade and the napkins at the same time.

  Katie watched her return to the dining room and begin to set the table. It was one of the trademarks of Katie’s service that she always provided the atmosphere as well as the food. The setting was understated but elegant, as if everything had come from the host’ or hostesses’ own china cabinet.

  Tonight they were making a wonderful Italian stew with lamb and white beans. It was a great main course to cater since a lot of it could be prepared ahead of time and then finished at the client’s home. Katie chopped the parsley, garlic and sautéed mushrooms for the bruschetta starter and inhaled the aroma of the first press olive oil as she stirred it in.

  To go along with the Italian meal they had brought a colorful hand painted set of Tuscan ceramics. Huge pasta bowls for the stew, and little dipping bowls filled with the same wonderful oil and served with crunchy ciabatta bread. They had also brought beautiful round wine glasses to match the feisty and full body of the big Barolo that they would be serving. The final touch was music from the soundtrack of Big Night that Katie now heard playing in the background.

  Jessica stood back to appreciate the perfection of the table. This was one of the reasons Katie loved having Jess’s help, she could visualize and execute an amazing environment. Katie knew that setting a table was a delight rather than a chore to Jessica and she suspected that it was because she could be creative and organized in a way that she often couldn’t in her own life.